Ticks and Disease;

including

The Deer Tick and Lyme Disease

Welcome

I have designed this page to try and answer any and all questions one might
have about Lyme Disease and the tick that causes Lyme Disease.

I have created this site for two main
reasons. In all my years of tromping throught the woods, and other habitats of
the Eastern United States, I have pulled off countless ticks that have imbedded
themselves on me. Twice, I have had doctors look at the after effects of these
bites.

The first doctor's visit resulted in
treatment with tetracycaline because the wound may have had mouth parts left
behind resulting in a sore at the location of the bite.

The second doctor's visit, in January of
1997, was due to the result of muscle pains and flu-like symptoms I had about
three weeks after a tick bite while in the Everglades. This tick left a unique
bulls-eye rash 10 minutes after being pulled from the bite. It was found that I
had the flu and not a tick bourne disease (identification of the saved specimen
revealed it was not a Deer Tick), but it could have easily been the signs of a
tick disease, including Lyme disease.

I learned that Lyme disease tends to leave a
characteristic bulls-eye mark at the bite, but a bulls-eye mark at a tick bite
does not mean you have contracted Lyme disease.

I can not stress one important factor about
ticks. Always save ticks that you pull off your body and save them in small jar
of alcohol or in a small jar in the freezer. Lable and date the jars and where
you found the tick on you and where you where when you think the tick may have
climbed on to you. Mark these dates on your calendar. I am stressing this
because if you come down with an unusual sickness about two to four weeks after
a bite, it may be beneficial to you and your doctor to know when you were bit
by a tick to aid in the diagnosis.

Lyme disease cases are on the rise every
year. Lyme disease can be treated and its effects controled if caught early
enough, but there is no cure for Lyme disease. If ignored and left untreated,
Lyme disease can lead to serious medical injury or death; just as any tick
borne disease can. As you can see below, lyme disease is on the rise and the
number of cases increase every year.

What does the deer tick rash look
like?

How to correctly remove an embedded
tick.

One way to prevent ticks from getting a foothold on your skin is to tuck
your pants into your socks like this:

Index of helpful publications, news
stories, and pictures.

Click here to read
a helpful publication about tickborn diseases and some tips on what to do if
you have a tick embedded on your body.

If you have any questions about ticks, their diseases and even other
arthropod bites and diseases, please feel free to write to me and I'll respond
as soon as possible.

Please note that submitted questions may be
used on the following Q & A
page. All names and e-mail addresses will be ommitted, but if you would
like to contribute and be available for people to contact you, simply state
that your permission is granted to use you name and e-mail address. Please do
not let this discourage you from writing. I am doing this so people visiting
this site can read letters of concern or comments from other people. Your
comments and experiences are important.